How to Unlock Your Creativity

Have you ever been stuck on a project, maybe writing a blog or creating a design, where you are struggling to find inspiration? Have you had one of those days where you’ve been at work all day, but you still can’t seem to harness your creativity? It can be hard — everyone’s been there. Whether you need blogging tips, creative business ideas, or ways to improve your ability to think, here are a few tips that can help you jumpstart your creativity and finish that project:

Clear Your Head

If you’re stuck at a desk all day, your creativity can be limited, and looking at the same blank screen for so long can be frustrating. Instead of forcing creative genius, take a step back. Try something different to unlock your creative mind, such as meditation or taking a break.

Meditate. Meditation is a good way to get the creative juices flowing. Relax and don’t stress about the project ahead of you. Close your eyes and let your body naturally relax you.

Take a break. Walking away from the project, even for just a few minutes, can be healthy as well. Going on a short walk around the building, or even just the office, can allow you to think of other things. Look at things at a different angle on your walk, and you might find inspiration in the smallest of things.

Once you’ve taken a break or meditated, go back to your project. You might now have some awesome ideas that can fill the pages.

Get Inspired

Inspiration can sometimes be hard to grasp, but have no fear — inspiration can be just around the corner. Here are some ideas that can help you get inspired:

Start a journal. Writing down or sketching out your thoughts can allow you to see things differently. Try starting a bullet journal — it will keep you up-to-date on things going on around you, as well as increase your creativity by letting you design your own page layouts.

Go to a museum. Museums are filled with history, creativity, and inspiration. Go to a museum that speaks to you — whether it be a museum of art or a museum of science.

Hop on Instagram or Pinterest. There are tons of creative ideas floating around on both!

Brainstorm with coworkers, friends, or family members. Two+ heads are always better than one.

Do something or go somewhere you love. Sometimes inspiration and creativity can come from many different places. Go on a hike, take a swim, draw, paint, take a weekend trip, or do whatever else you love doing. Participating in something you like and are excited about can help you relax and let your mind wander, letting the creative juices flow.

Get inspired by getting out, doing things you love, and journaling about it. You will be able to unlock the creativity you need for the job or your next project.

Get Enough Sleep

Sometimes getting enough sleep can help boost creativity. Think back to the days of school — do you remember your teacher saying, “get enough sleep before an exam”? Well, this applies to work as well. You want to be at your tip-top shape when you come into work, and being at your best will help your brain process things clearly and efficiently. With that being said, the more sleep, the more you’ll able to think outside of the box.

Done is Better Than Perfect

If you are still struggling to unlock your creativity, take a step back and ask yourself, “is this project done?” We struggle to make things absolutely perfect, but sometimes it’s good to turn a [good, but not perfect] project in. That way, it’s not late, and you have a chance to get feedback from coworkers, your boss, a client, or your customers. Conversely, if you never turn in a “done” project, there’s a great chance it’ll never see the light of day. So, if you’ve been working on a project and you’re at your wit’s end — turn in what you’ve done. There’s no need to make yourself crazy trying to make something perfect. Nothing is perfect, but trying your best and finishing something can be just as good. Plus, you never know — someone might think what you’ve done is perfect as it is (we can be harsher on ourselves than the people around us).

Unlocking your creativity can be hard, and everyone struggles with it from time to time. It’s not the end of the world. Relaxing or doing something you love can spark your creativity, because sometimes all it takes is taking a step back and asking yourself if it is actually good enough to be done. Don’t stress too much. Do things that will give you a boost a creativity and add inspiration to your life. Just don’t forget: done is better than perfect.